Today started normally but was full of surprises! We decided to walk, which stopped us getting jeep bound, and after parking under a large tree by the river we slowly walked along the river bank watching the ever grumpy hippos jockeying for position. As we walked along the path there was a mass of chirping from the grass infront of us, you could hardly see the flock of lovebirds as their green colouring blended with the grass but when focused you could see their reddish orange breasts.
We then sat by another colony of carmine bee eaters but I didn't get a photo as good as yesterday's! In the middle of the river a young fisherman was gutting his fish. Apparently he goes quietly to sell his fish but returns much noisier have spent some of his money on a tipple or two! Another new sighting was a vibrant red locust. Walking back to the jeep I realised another jeep was parked beside ours- it soon dawned on me that the reason we couldn't get an egg before we left ( not that it troubled me!) was because we were now about to enjoy a bush brunch!
Before getting back to camp we went to visit Project Luangwa, an initiative for women and girls - they have just opened a new shop which was spacious and a great addition in which to sell their lovely bags and cards. I bought a bag and met Royce, the lady who made it - she couldn't stop smiling and was so pleased I liked her bag enough to buy it. We were also told about a project for washable sanitary towels and secret washing lines - $11 enabled a girl to benefit from the full kit and meant she wouldn't have to miss school. It's a sad fact that many girls miss a quarter of their schooling due to a normal bodily process! Several of us made a donation to help these girls.
We had another short rest as we had invited the head of the Predator Project to speak to us over tea - a really interesting project focusing on the sustainable existence of all the key predators - they endeavour to ensure they provide the facts for discussion and policy decisions rather than getting involved in giving opinions - very sensible